Till Death Do Us Part
by carefreezoe
Summary: Zoe had always been interested in the world of wrestling but when she meets a former friend after beginning to establish the start of her career, she realises how involved she is. She is at a turning point of many different stages of her life. But can she make the right choices? Especially when it comes to certain wrestlers?
1. Chapter 1

The beginning of the end started when I got the phone call. I was in a crowded Oxford Street at the time and the Christmas lights were dazzling. Everyone was out trying to get a bargain in the final few days before Christmas and I was struggling to move through the crowds. Faintly, the sound of a ringing phone reached my ears. I knew something was wrong when your caller ID came up, and Jasmine was talking to me on the other end. She sounded as though she had been running and her voice was almost cracking. It was hard to hear with the commotion going on around me but the main words I caught was "Dads hurt".

I turned instantly and headed back down towards a taxi. When I entered the cab, the driver questioned whether I was okay. I couldn't truthfully answer the question and just ushered him to drive quickly.

We pulled into Charing Cross hospital and my mind is blank from there. I don't think I heard anything. All I was concentrating on was finding you. I didn't need any help in finding your wing. It was like instinct. I knew exactly which stairs to climb and which corridor to go down. We had always found each other.

I eventually reached the room outside of your ward. It was full of the family. Our beautiful children and their partners. Jasmine had Jake cuddled into her. He seemed to have grown so much, yet I had only seen him yesterday. Sam had his arm round them both, attempting to comfort Jas. His parents were behind them, both looking well. Luke was perched on the chair opposite, staring aggressively at the wall in which I could sense that your presence was behind. Lucia sat on his side obviously trying to get his attention and calm him down. It was scary how he looked alike to you.

Seated near Jas and Jack, Rose was cradling the ever growing bulge of her stomach and John was stood near her struggling to stop himself from restlessly pacing. Everyone looked up as I entered and I could see the mixture of emotions - discomfort, despair and an obvious sadness. I looked around to each of our childrens faces and then greeted Mr and Mrs Cartwright - Sam's parents - before I went to sit between our two girls. Jack reached his tiny hands up to me and I allowed him to curl it around my finger taking comfort from his warm touch. I beckoned Luke over to us and he stood, Lucia still at his side.

Everytime I had been in a hospital, it had been loud with the clatter of people getting on with endless tasks. However, in this small room it was eerily silent. It was like we were separated from the world. Everyone seemed too shocked to speak so now that we were all together I decided to break the peace. I had no idea where you were or what you had done and the unknowing was growing inside me, eating away at my calm appearance on the outside. I didn't want to break down here.. Turning to our small family, a half whisper escaped my mouth. "Anyone explain to me what actually happened?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: My friend read this and was getting a bit confused so I just wanted to explain that Zoe is writing this to the guy who is in hospital and is her husband. Just a quick chapter about pain for you.. :)

Growing up is still all about getting hurt. And then making yourself better by overcoming it. You hurt, you respond, you recover and then you move on. Odds are pretty good you are just going to get hurt again. But each time, you learn something. Each time you come out of it a little stronger, and at some point you realise that there are more varieties of pain than there are stars in the sky.

There is the little empty pain of leaving something behind - graduating, taking the next step forward or walking out of something that is familiar and safe into the unknown world, full of possibilities. There is the huge whirling pain of life upending all of your plans and expectations. There is the sharp pains of failure that create a large impact until overcome. Sometimes it even leads to success.

There are sometimes in which you feel the more obscure aches of successes that didn't fulfil what you wanted and didn't provide you with the outcome that you expected. And then there are the vicious, stabbing pains of hopes being torn up. Of something you had put time and effort into completely and it being ripped from beneath you. Followed by the agony that comes from losing something that you once thought you couldn't live without. Being so close to someone and then having to continue life without them. Having to break away from any usual routine. Having to come to terms with their passing.

On the other hand, there are many occurrences of the small sweet pains when you find others and give them your love. When you take joy in their life as you observe them learning new things and prospering. When you guide their footsteps and help them to create the person they are today. This usually accompanies the steady pain of empathy that you shrug of so you can stand beside a wounded friend or help someone to bare their burdens.

All the while, if you are extremely lucky, you may experience the rarity every once in a while of a blazing hot pain. It comes when you realise that you are standing in a moment of utter perfection. In an instant of triumph, or happiness, or mirth which you think can't possibly last and yet will remain with you for the rest of your life.

But right now, the pain was unbearable. I couldn't think of losing you. We had been through so much together and promised each other on the day we married that we would face anything our futures offered us hand in hand. But right now, we were separated and the fact that I was away from you was extremely painful.

The pain was a large mixture that all really boiled down to one thing. I couldn't afford to lose you again. We had spent too much time apart since we met. Too much time when we were younger separated because we were both stupid enough to not realise that we were meant to be together. That we were always stronger together. Although our egos were large and clashed often and when we didn't agree on something, all hell broke lose. But we had overcome our problems. We hadn't been apart from each other since then. Until now. And the thought of being alone, of not having you protecting me at every step, was beginning to surface. And when it did, I didn't know what was going to happen.

The fact is that I need you. I need you to break through this. And the only thing keeping me together was the fact that I know you. You are the best in the world at being strong. You could fight anything and this whatever it is, isn't going to stop you. You are going to do everything you can to be back to my side. And I will be fighting with you to get you back here.


	3. Chapter 3

"'For I wondered that others, subject to death, did live, since he whom I loved, as if he should never die, was dead; and I wondered yet more that myself, who was to him a second self, could live, he being dead. Well said one of his friends, "Thou half of my soul"; for I felt that my soul"; for I felt that my soul and his soul were "one soul in two bodies": and therefore was my life a horror to me, because I would not live halved. And therefore perchance I feared to die, lest he whom I much loved should die wholly."

- Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book IV.

I guess it all began in a hospital bed. Well most lives do! I was only 16 when my Mother passed away. She was fighting cancer for a large part of my childhood and I remember her being unwell a lot. They first diagnosed her when I was about 10. The memory isn't very clear. I do remember the day she told us though. It wasn't easy for me to understand other than the fact that something was serious. My older sister began crying and I did too.

I was young then and used to follow my sisters footsteps. We were very close. In fact, our whole family were. Anyway, I remember my Mum explaining that it wasn't serious. That it definitely could be treated and she spent a large amount of time at the hospital. About a year later, I had started secondary school and we had a large party that first Christmas with everyone there. My parents announced the news that my Mum was clear and everyone was overwhelmed. I understood a lot more as my Dad and Carla - my sister - had been explaining it too me. I embraced her and told her how proud I was of her.

It was just after this that we moved to Florida. My parents had dreamed of running a health surgery together for years and my Dad wanted a new fresh start for us all. I had always loved London and was terribly patriotic but my family always came first. My Dad was American anyway and I knew that he missed his family that still lived there. So I moved with them and started at a new High School in Florida.

It was a beautiful place and the weather was good most of the year. There was some horrendous storms every now and again though. My Mum and Dad settled in their new business and I often helped out. We travelled to Louisiana every Summer which was where my Dads parents lived. I had only ever met them once when they had come to London and it was great to start building a relationship with them.

It was my Grandad who first started me at piano and I took part in doing some jobs in the health place for my parents. In exchange, they bought me a beautiful grand piano. I found music was a great escape from my life. Whenever I felt stressed from school or annoyed with something, I would take to writing a song about it. My parents paid for lessons for me with a boy who wasn't much older than me and I progressed well.

It was him, Jack, who first got me interested in fighting. I was very open with him and one day told him how, although I loved school, I wasn't gaining many friends and wasn't a very confident person. He suggested that I start a martial art and described how he had been doing it for many years and had gained a number of friends along with a sense of self defence and I started my first Judo session. It was wonderful to be able to go along each week and learn different techniques. It also gave me a lot more confidence and I did make friends.

The most significant were 2 twin boys called Alec and Jordan. Jordan had a girlfriend called Tessa and I grew very close to her when she occasionally came along to the Judo sessions. The 4 of us started going to the gym and I seemed to find another escape from the many stresses of teenage life.

We had just become accustomed to the new home when I celebrated my 14th birthday party. I took Tessa and the boys down to New Orleans in Louisiana and stayed with my Grandparents. I loved their house, especially the vast amount of outdoors and one day my Grandfather took us all on a basic hunting trip. Alec was very good and shot a Squirrel though said that he often went hunting with his parents.

When I returned home my Mum, Dad and my sister, Carla, all gathered and my Mum explained how the cancer had returned a lot more severely. She had told us all previous to the trip that she was feeling unwell and my Dad had convinced her to see a specialist. I never imagined that it would come back though and didn't take the news well. It was so unfair how things can be going perfectly, then suddenly, it all has to be taken away from you.

She fought bravely for a year, having a number of Chemotherapy sessions. She would rest for days after these, often being violently ill. I confessed to Tessa how worried I was and she used to stay at the house for days on end, helping me and my Dad to take care of her and in the evenings, when my Mum had finally fallen asleep, comforting me. She seemed to take the place of Carla who had moved to university. I don't know how I would have coped without her and the boys. They used to drag me away from home to the gym or to Judo though I didn't like leaving my mother for long.

It was in that year that I grew a lot closer to Alec. It seemed that though he put on an act of being tough around his brother, he was actually very sensitive. He used to come over alone when Tessa and Jordan spent time together and would comfort me when I woke in the night screaming. It was a rough time though I always found that when I was with him, everything seemed possible. He used to be the only one that could make me laugh and I found myself slowly falling in love with him.

He also got me interested in wrestling. He watched it at my house and at first I criticised him. Being a girl, it wasn't something that I thought I would enjoy watching but was soon gripped! We began watching it weekly together and he used to play fight with me. The next time they came to Miami, he took me to go see the event. It was brilliant live and the atmosphere was incredible. For a moment, I forgot everything that was happening. It felt like everything was perfect. Yet, when I got home, my whole world crashed back into reality.


	4. Chapter 4

Carla was there which was a shock because she had left to go to university almost 6 months ago. I gave her a hug and asked what was wrong and she broke down in front of me. I barely heard the words she was saying and felt like my mind had shut down. She explained how Mum had been taken very ill and that we must go to the hospital at once. My Dad had gone with her. I felt the tears in my eyes but made sure they stayed back. I had prepared for this moment for a long time and knew that I had to be strong for my family.

Alec was still with us and though my sister could drive, she wasn't in the best state too. So he drove us down to the Jackson memorial hospital. It was getting late into the night and my sister fell asleep in the car. Alec asked me if I was alright and I couldn't answer him. I knew that if I thought about any of it then I might break down. It was amazing how he seemed to understand me and instead started talking about the event. I described how exciting it had been and we accounted different parts that we enjoyed. It seemed like a lifetime ago but in reality was only a few hours back.

When we arrived, I surprised to find a small gathering of people. Tessa and Jordan were both there together and explained that Alec had text them to say what was happening. Tessa embraced me and wouldn't let go for a while whispering in my ear about how she would always be there for me and to never feel that I was alone. It was wonderful to see her. My Dad was also sat there and quickly beckoned us both over to him. He was with a man whom I didn't recognise until he spoke. I hadn't seen my Uncle John since I was extremely young when he still came to the UK. My Dad spoke to them regularly online and we still christmas and birthday cards. I realised that he had two of his children with him, John and Matt and said hello to them all. Me and John were once quite close and it was great to see him again even under the awful circumstances.

When we had finished, the Doctor entered the room. He took us through to see her and I barely realised that I gripped hold of Alec's hand as we entered. The Doctor had warned that she would be weak but nothing could prepare me for what I saw. She was lying so limply on the hospital bed with wires attached to every part of her body. Everyone was quiet when we entered and it was just the beeping of machines that succumbed the silence. I turned to Alec and he could obviously see that I was distraught because he squeezed my hand encouragingly.

Me and Carla perched on the edge of the bed and I took hold of Mum's free hand. It felt so cold. Now that I was this close, I could also see the bruising under her eyes and noticed how pale and frail her skin looked. It was extraordinary how I had only seen her several hours ago, stood on her own 2 feet and actually looking quite well. Her cheekbones seemed to extravagant and even her chest seemed so tight. It was like she had aged several years in a short period of time.

As this realisation hit me, I think it was too much. I felt the tears begin to fall and my breathing quickened. I could feel my tight control slowly slipping and soon my breath was coming raggedly between sobs. Alec and John both stepped to put their arms around me and I felt the room spin as they took me out. Then my vision went black..

A/N - Had many exams lately and also a family death so writing hasn't been my main priority. Hope everyone is ok though and is enjoying the story still. (:


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